What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 139
“……”
A pitiful man.
Ysaris silently patted Kazhan, her gaze fixed on the bedroom ceiling. The design mirrored the night sky, with a faintly glowing moon and stars shining down on them.
She didn’t bother asking why he kept having nightmares about her death. Although his comments about how their time together felt like a fleeting dream gave her an inkling of his past, she kept her thoughts to herself.
Had she felt pity? Had she dared to sympathize with this Emperor, who clung so desperately to her?
Having no memory of her past, she could only respond based on his current actions. She stroked his head tenderly, as though soothing a child, and whispered softly.
“Nightmares are just dreams, after all.”
Dreams could never become reality. That was what made them dreams—a mirage of events that would never occur.
“Look, Cain. I’m alive. Right here, by your side.”
Ysaris calmly reminded him of what he already knew. Her voice, gentle and soft as though consoling a child, held a kind warmth.
“Let’s sleep together. If you have another nightmare, I’ll wake you. I’ll stay here, so the moment you open your eyes, you’ll see me and feel at ease…”
It felt strange to reassure him that she’d remain by his side, but Ysaris chose to ignore the discomfort. Dwelling on it would only make her words sound forced.
Initially, she’d suggested they sleep together merely to see his reaction, not with the intention of actually doing so. But now that things had unfolded this way, she figured sharing a morning with him, just this once, wouldn’t be so bad.
After all, being left alone after their intimacy wasn’t exactly pleasant.
As Ysaris found herself lost in thought, Kazhan’s voice, quiet but strained, interrupted.
“I told you before—my sleep habits are rather violent. I’ll likely cause you trouble.”
“That’s to be expected between husband and wife, isn’t it? It’s not as though we’ve always kept separate chambers.”
Kazhan had no rebuttal. He had always left after holding her, and his inability to answer betrayed his guilt.
Unable to agree or disagree, he tightened his arms around her and asked again, his voice filled with doubt.
“Are you truly fine with this? I don’t need to sleep.”
“Who doesn’t need to sleep?”
“I prefer to take short naps during the day.”
“Are you admitting you doze off during your work?”
“That’s not… ha.”
Kazhan let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle, brushing his lips against the crook of Ysaris’ neck. Where he had already claimed her many times, he gently pressed his lips against her skin and murmured.
“I can’t win against you. Let’s sleep together. But don’t blame me if I disturb your rest.”
“I already know what I asked for.”
“…Still, I’m worried. Should I tie my hands while we sleep?”
“Unless you’re trying to make me seem like I have peculiar interests, stop.”
Their exchange, part serious and part teasing, slowly eased into a relaxed atmosphere. Lying face-to-face in the quiet calm, they finally fell asleep after some time.
The night enveloped them, transitioning into a faintly blue dawn before the sun broke through the darkness. Somewhere amidst that time, Ysaris shifted slightly in her sleep, moving into Kazhan’s embrace, and he instinctively drew her closer. Neither of them realized it—they acted out of sheer unconsciousness.
A night without pain. A morning filled with warmth.
Lost in each other’s comforting presence, they remained peacefully asleep, undisturbed until nearly noon.
* * *
Twitch.
“…Ugh.”
A groan escaped Ysaris as she frowned, her body stiff with discomfort. Trying to shift, she froze, overwhelmed by a heavy weight pressing her down. Squinting through blurry eyes, she noticed a muscular chest visible beneath a loosely draped robe.
It was Kazhan’s.
“…”
The memories of the previous night returned quickly. Though she was less startled than she’d been the first time waking up in the same bed as him, Ysaris hesitated as she lifted her gaze.
There, she saw his face—still deep in sleep.
Though he had excused his behavior with talk of nightmares, Ysaris hadn’t seen him show any signs of distress while sleeping. Instead, his expression was one of serene peace, drawing her attention.
Was that merely an excuse? Had he just been reluctant to let their time together slip by?
But why would he bother with such things? If anything, he was the one fretting that they couldn’t always be together.
Dismissing her thoughts, Ysaris closed her eyes again. Whatever the truth was, her body felt entirely spent, and she wanted nothing more than to rest a bit longer.
